Dogs
by narwhal95
Summary: Takes place after Kikyou's death in the Final act. What if Inuyasha struggled to move on? And Who are these dogs?
1. Prologue

_AN: Rated for language. Hope you enjoy!_

Things were different now. She was positive that she wasn't the only who noticed either. The monk and demon slayer would speak almost in whispers and mostly to themselves. Shippou hardly piped up and if he did, his words consisted of simple questions, " _how come.."_ or  
" _why not.."_ Somehow, among a group of four other people, Kagome had never felt lonelier.

Since that night, when the Shinidamachu took Kikyou's spirit far beyond the stars, Inuyasha appeared to be floating somewhere up there with her, among those same stars. His tough exterior diminished, as did everything else that made Inuyasha none other than _the_ Inuyasha.

How did this happen? How did this group of united, charismatic, and outgoing individuals suddenly become so sad and distant?

It broke Kagome's heart. It was easy to talk to Miroku and Sango, but only when Inuyasha was out of sight. However, even then, despite the comforting words they'd offer her, her energy continued to diminish. Ultimately, no one could reach the devastated Hanyou, not even Kagome.


	2. Days

It had been eight days since Kikyou had passed away.

News of Kikyou's death spread far across many villages. The great priestess was no longer. Instead, Kagome walked the feudal era; the foreign Kikyou, the future Kikyou.

It was interesting to note that everyone seemed aware of this; that no one else possessed spiritual powers quite like Kikyou other than Kagome. But who cares? What good was all this so-called power when she was losing the only thing that made her powerful, her beautiful half-demon?

"….agome, what do you think?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we should stop here for the night? It's getting dark and there's no point to keep going for now" Miroku repeated. Kagome exhaled. That's right, Inuyasha in Lala land meant she was asked to make all these decisions.

"I guess" She didn't realize how tired she was until the words left her mouth. She could use a break. She quickly scanned the immediate area but was disappointed when she didn't see him anywhere "Where did Inuyasha go?" she asked, already knowing that the answer would disappoint her. Miroku and Sango exchanged worried glances but Shippou, who was too young to really understand, broke the awkward silence,

"He jumped up into the trees somewhere, as soon as Miroku suggested we rest"

'Of _course'_ Kagome thought glumly.

She couldn't understand it. Kikyou's absence wasn't anything new. Yes, this time, she had really left them, but when did she become such an active subject among them? She's betrayed them countless times, attempted to kill her, sided with Naraku, and the list went on. However, as soon as she listed these things in her head, Kagome knew she was in the wrong, and it had nothing to do with Kikyou being anything other than gone. It's just Inuyasha was always able to talk to her, confide in her, the way he felt, even if he didn't speak. This was the first time Inuyasha didn't seek comfort in Kagome and it killed her. What, did he think she couldn't take? Did he think that the kiss bothered her that much? Why was he avoiding her so much? Unless Inuyasha couldn't help but accept the thoughts and opinions of other villagers, who looked at Kagome as nothing but a replacement. _'that's not true and you know that. You are Kagome and Inuyasha knows you are Kagome'_

it didn't matter though. Whether she was still considered Kagome or Kikyou, Kagome felt like a stranger in the lands she called home. More importantly, and for the first time, Kagome felt as though she would never be anything more than second best. Somehow, the last eight days were able to change her life completely, and just how it easy it was to do so, crushed her spirits.

The first three days, she tried to be understanding and polite. She didn't want to push him to open up. She knew he needed to grieve and Kagome would give him that, of course, she would. But by day four, it was driving her nuts. ' _Talk to me, Inuyasha. Please.. Let me help you',_ she would say to herself. But it appeared as though he forgot how to read her mind, how to read her entire thought process through one look. It made her sick; to think that he was locking her out. She couldn't eat, she couldn't sleep, she couldn't function. The least she could do was try to show her friends that they shouldn't worry. She'll be okay. She has to be. She's Kagome.

On day five, She knew Inuyasha wanted to say something when they settled down for the night. But in that moment, she didn't care. She was hurting. Maybe she wasn't mourning the loss of someone she loved, but she was losing herself, and that was enough. She dismissed him when he tried to get her attention, but noticed the pressuring glances he received from their friends. She knew they were on her side yet, she was no longer able to play for her own team.

Day six was hard. That was the first time someone mistook her for Kikyou since her death.

" _I'm sorry, but I'm not her,"_ she told him kindly (but sadly)

" _No?... My apologies. You resemble her so much. I thought I could ask for her to share some of her kind wisdom here.."_

Kind wisdom? Of course. Kikyou was a saint. Kagome is Kagome. More expectations she couldn't ever live up to. She wasn't capable of kind wisdom because she was Kagome. It took all of her strength not to cry. Inuyasha had stepped out later that evening without so much as a word, and that hurt even more. ' _Please.. stop locking me out..'_

But it was useless. Her thoughts rang out only to her. Giving up, she attempted to fall asleep, however, the comfort of slumber never found her. She lay awake, at least long enough to hear Sango warn Inuyasha.

The sixth day... now that was the day of days. Any math exam, any attempt to shoot an arrow and not miss would have been an easier hurdle to jump. But Inuyasha finally spoke, and when he did, he called her Kikyou. The whole thing was silly really. They managed to find themselves in a dense forest after one of the villagers claimed Naraku came this way. Shippou was slightly on edge and decided to remain in the comfort of Kagome's arms. " _You're a pussy demon, Shippou!"_ He yelled at him

" _and You're a total jerk!"_ Shippou replied angrily.

And before you know it, " _Kikyou, will you tell the runt to shut his trap?!"_

And she stopped dead in her tracks. If it wasn't the end of the word before, it was now. Now, even Inuyasha couldn't differentiate between the two of them. Somehow, his mind and his heart blurred together. Now, she was completely stripped of her own identity, to him of all people. But, she wouldn't let it show. She couldn't. Otherwise, she'd crack.

" _It's okay"_ she managed to say, barely finding the breath to do so.

But it wasn't okay. Her heart finally broke, and not even she could find the pieces.

...

He had to get away. His friends suffocated him. She suffocated him. Ah fuck it, the whole universe was out to get him.

It had been eight days, fifteen hours, and some couple seconds since that night. He never stopped counting. But it was almost instinctual, like a child who wants to see just how long they'll survive without their mother. He couldn't help it. Kikyou was gone. Really, truly, dead and gone.

When he found a tree far enough to be out of sight (but still near enough to keep tabs on her scent), he leaped up to a branch and tried to gather his own thoughts. ' _Kikyou…'_

Her name echoed in his head as he continued to try and process the whole thing. At least, prior to her death, Inuyasha found comfort in knowing that she was alive. Well, sort of. But she walked the same earth and looked up at the same sky. No, she didn't tag along with him and his friends, but it eased his heart to know that, every now and then, they would run into her. It was Kikyou after all. She was the first woman he ever loved, ever opened up to. How could he really just let that go?

On that note, he was also completely aware of what he was doing to her. _'She has a name, dumbass. Use it.'_

But he couldn't. He couldn't say her name to himself, knowing that Kikyou is the only name he plans on repeating to himself for a while, at least the next little bit.

At first, he knew that she understood. She was trying to be polite and compassionate without having to push him to open up. But four days later, she was suddenly becoming as lost as he was. He saw the light and joy slowly drain from her eyes. Her smiles, now to strictly entertain the rest of their friends, no longer reached her eyes. Her appetite, when the group stopped to eat, were diminishing by the day, and before he knew it, he started losing her too.

"Fuck," He said out loud, unintentionally.

Five days after, when he finally felt as though he _should_ say something, she was uninterested and lifeless. She carried on with the group to support them all but was starting to give up on herself. This caused him to change his mind. Maybe it would just blow over. Maybe everything would return to normal without the need for a conversation. But who was he trying to kid? He would notice the glances and glares Sango and Miroku would throw him, and he understood something had to be done. He just couldn't find the inner strength.

The sixth day was the first time they stopped at a village. It was Miroku's attempt at changing the mood. But it all came crashing down when one of the villagers addressed her as 'Lady Kikyou', which led to her sighing. Inuyasha noted that, if sighs could sound completely devastated, that's exactly what hers sounded like.

" _I'm sorry, but I'm not her"_

" _No?... My apologies. You resemble her so much. I thought I could ask for her to share some of her kind wisdom here.."_

That almost hurt her more. He could smell it; the fresh onslaught of tears, threatening to fall. She had plenty of kind wisdom too, it just wasn't Kikyou's kind wisdom. After they were treated to lunch (which she barely touched), he stepped outside to get some air. However, he didn't realize that to her, it meant he wanted to be left completely alone, _without_ her company. He only learned about this much later, when she had gone to "sleep" and Sango quietly warned him that he was skating on thin ice with the beautiful young priestess.

The seventh day, or yesterday, was the worst. After they had left the village, their journey continued on and took them through a dense forest. Shippou, being the youngest, was afraid and spent the majority of the time cuddled up against her chest and in her arms. For whatever reason, Inuyasha and the little fox demon got into again. Something about Shippou being a "pussy demon" and Inuyasha being a "total jerk". But that wasn't it. Inuyasha delivered the final blow when he turned around and accidentally called her the wrong name. " _Kikyou, will you tell the runt to shut his trap?!"_

He froze. She froze. Shippou froze. Time Froze. The earth stopped rotating.

' _Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck'_ echoed mercilessly in his head. Sango's jaw dropped, while Miroku was too stunned to really react.

" _Uh-oh…"_ Shippou let out, prepared for an angry retort from the girl. But nothing came. Instead, her shoulder slumped, her gaze lowered, and her overall demeanor shrank.

" _It's okay"_ she managed to say, but it wasn't okay.

By God, it was not okay. Nothing was okay.


	3. nights

Breaking from his thoughts, Inuyasha noticed that the sun had almost completely set. Despite his inner turmoil, there's no way in hell he'd be able to stay away from her. He was her protector, and no matter what the circumstance was, he would stop at nothing to protect her.

' _you've really fucked up. How is going to look at you the same? More importantly, how could you do that? How could you mix them up?! Kikyou is not her! Kagome is -"_

He stopped as soon as he unintentionally thought her name.

"Kagome…"

Her name sounded so sweet to himself. He loved saying it, hearing it, hearing her. He then sighed loudly.

She really didn't deserve this - not his consistent depressing demeanor, not the complete lack of attention, none of it.

' _she said she wanted to stay with you no matter what. She cares about you when you get hurt. She holds you in a position so much higher than anyone else.. and this is how you treat her?"_

"Keh!"

But he knew his inner voice was right. He had to suck it up. After all, Kagome has seen Kouga and Nobunaga, and that Houjo guy from her time, and no matter what, he was Always Inuyasha to her. He was her Inuyasha.

' _you're going back to her and you're going to be her Inuyasha. The one who protects her and Lo-"_

 _"_ YEAH YEAH," He said out loud to himself.

His inner voice was not going that far, not yet.

...

"Kagome… I really think you should eat something. Inuyasha will come back and if he finds out we didn't push you to eat, he's going to be really upset," said Sango gently.

The demon slayer felt terrible about the whole situation – it saddened her to see the girl she calls her sister so broken and disheartened.

 _'That idiot Inuyasha… I know he's hurting but Kagome-'_

"I'm really not that hungry Sango. Besides, Inuyasha's appetite is bigger than mine. This way, there's more than enough for him"

The sound of Kagome's voice nearly spooked Sango out of her own thoughts. The raven-haired girl said so little these days that when she did speak, it was like listening to angels singing.

"He doesn't need to eat as much as you do. You need your strength," added Miroku sternly, " _so you can be strong for all of us",_ finishing the rest of the sentence in his head.

Hearing the desperation in their voices, Kagome mustered the biggest smile she could and waved her hands casually in front of her,

"I'm fine guys, Really!"

Before Miroku or Sango could say any more, the man of the hour appeared from the trees, his expression neutral but his eyes full of determination and resolve

As soon as she saw him, she dropped her gaze. It was too hard. Now, she was convinced that he no longer saw her as Kagome, but as Kikyou. How could he do that? Didn't he realize how much that hurt? How much of her own identity did it strip?

"What's everyone moping on about?" Inuyasha asked roughly. Got to pretend he's still a super tough guy, right?

Miroku glared at him but decided that Inuyasha's mind has been somewhat swayed or made up.

"Nothing in particular, we're just trying to make sure Kagome gets her share of food that's all."

"Oi, Kagome, what's your deal? Eat!"

To Kagome, It was more of an order than encouragement, but it gave her a strange nostalgic feeling. It took her back the moment the two of them defeated Yura of the hair, and Inuyasha finally said her name.

 _"Let's go Kagome"_ , _he stated confidently_

 _'that was then.. this is now..'_ she thought sadly to herself.

"Hey Kagome! Hello!"

Now he was starting to irritate her. One minute he's a moping mess and the next he's ordering her around like nothing happened. Seriously?

"Listen, you're really starting to irritate me. Just fucking eat!"

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. This was not going to be good. Kagome never tolerated that kind of language or attitude. Inuyasha was going to be sat to hell.

So for those split seconds in between, everyone waited

and waited

and waited.

and nothing came.

Instead, Kagome looked up, making direct eye contact with the Hanyou for the first time that day. However, the sadness and betrayal in her eyes broke Inuyasha's heart.

"I'm irritating you?…," she said in a tone so broken, even Shippou winced.

…...

"I'm irritating you?…"

His ears flattened against his head. Oh yeah, he had really done it now. He was just having no luck with Kagome lately.

"If you don't mind, I'm going to head to bed"

It was a simple statement. With it, she got up and left to settle into her sleeping bag, away from the group.

"Well, Honestly Inuyasha, why don't you just spit in her face?," said Sango, rudely, throwing her hands up in the air. "I can't believe you!"

Silence.

"You have to apologize to her Inuyasha. Never mind us. We're not completely offended by your behavior in the last week. But Kagome.. and you called her Kikyou," the Monk added.

"Yeah yeah, I know.."

Sango sighed,

"Can you imagine a life without Kagome?"

"What are you going on about!?," Inuyasha replied, clearly annoyed by such a hollow statement.

"I mean, you'll push her away. She's a woman and I am too. These little details, they hurt us. What if she got Kouga to replace you in her heart? or even another dog half-demon?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something but realized that it wouldn't matter what he said, Sango was right.

"I'm just asking you to be realistic and compassionate too. Kagome has been, so why can't you?" said the demon slayer before getting up and retreating.

"Keh, whatever."

But she was right.

…

That night appeared to be sleepless for the Miko. Kagome tossed and turned in her sleeping bag, groaning out loud at one point from being unable to fall asleep. The last week of her life had been so miserable, she wondered why she's even stuck around for so long.

' _Inuyasha will never get over her.. or this. We'll probably never stop fighting because he'll never apologize. He probably doesn't even get what for. Typical.'_ she thought miserably.

And yet they still had some ways to go. They still had to complete the jewel, they still needed to get Kohaku back, and they still needed to seal Miroku's wind tunnel. How could they achieve any of this if Inuyasha couldn't get it together, not just for her sake but for everyone else's, for five minutes?

She looked up at the stars, hoping to find solace in their light.

"I wish there was something or someone else that wanted to be with me. Something that wanted to guard me.. keep me safe.. just for a moment" she quietly said out loud.

A star appeared to twinkle brighter than the others for just a moment.

With that, she turned onto her side and attempted again to fall asleep.

Little did she know, a half demon watched and listened the entire time.

...  
 ** _A/N:_**

 **Okay, I hope you're liking it so far! It's gonna be a bit slow to get to the major plot, but I know it'll be good!**  
 **please leave reviews, comments, rate it!**

 **:D**


	4. Fortune

It was hot.

The sun's rays beamed down aggressively against the backdrop of a crystal clear blue sky. For once, Kagome had been grateful that she listened to her mother and brought the t-shirt version of her school uniform. Had she still been wearing her long sleeve shirt, she would've definitely baked like a potato. Luckily, Sango was able to roll up the sleeves of her kimono however, Inuyasha and Miroku were ultimately left option-less and continued on in full gear.

"I have never wished for rain as much as I do now," said Miroku, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"Even a cloud would be nice," whined Shippou.

Kagome sighed, ignoring the conversation starting up next to her. Although the group's dynamic seemed to be returning to normal, it was hard to miss the lack of conversation between the young girl and the half-demon. In fact, this was probably the longest period of time that had ever gone by without the two talking. Thanks to this, it was hard to say her mood had changed drastically, if at all. Despite this, Kagome had no desire to attempt to talk to Inuyasha. As unbelievable as it was, she almost didn't care. For once, and maybe the first time ever, she wasn't interested in trying to comfort her beloved. For once, she was interested in comforting herself.

On the other hand, Inuyasha was well aware of it all; the tension between him and Kagome, the little to no communication, and it was killing him. He wanted to reach out to her and talk to her, but every time he tried, the words never came out. Moreover, if he allowed himself to focus on Kagome for just more than a minute, he was struck with a sense of overwhelming guilt. It tore him apart inside. He was well aware of whom his heart was yearning for, but denying his love for the girl behind him was hardly an option either. Plus, he had heard the things she whispered to herself out loud and mentally kicked himself for letting this go this far. But he just couldn't let go. Not now.

Noticing the lack of engagement from the two, Sango turned to Kagome,

"How do people keep cool in your time when it gets this hot?"

"Mm? Oh, we have air conditioners and fans!"

"Air conditioners?" Shippou was suddenly equally curious.

"Yeah... They're these machines, they blow cold air. You change the temperature on them too" Kagome replied, trying to keep a pep in her tone, at least for the sake of her friends.

"That's incredible! So you never really get hot then, do you?" Sango said with amazement.

Kagome let a small laugh, "No, I guess not"

"Too bad we don't have those in our time. I think I'm on the verge of melting," said Miroku, rolling his eyes dramatically. "I have no idea how Inuyasha is managing"

"Feh! I couldn't care less! Rain, Snow, Sun, whatever!" said Inuyasha suddenly.

For some reason, Inuyasha's voice was strange to her for Kagome. For one thing, it was usually directed at her and he was definitely more opinionated but the lack of acknowledgment made him and his voice seem foreign and strange.

 _'_ _I guess he technically is a stranger to you now…'_ she thought sadly.

Suddenly, the skies became temporarily overcast as three soul collectors flew over them. All eyes widened in surprise, especially Inuyasha's.

"Soul collectors?," Asked the Demon slayer, "But whose could they be?"

"They can't be Kikyou's, can they?"

All eyes dropped to the ground. These days, it seemed only Shippou and his innocence was capable of telling the truth.

"Well, what the hell are we standing around for!?" Growled Inuyasha. "Let's go!"

He took off running without Kagome. Kagome, however, was relieved and happily accompanied Sango on the back of Kirara.

But now, she was wishing for rain too. Hell, a thunderstorm would've been better than this.

…...

When they had reached the destination of the soul collectors, they noticed that the hot ball of gas in the sky was hard to see and the air had a sudden chill. A light fog was present in the air too.

To the (silent and internal) delight of Kagome, the soul collectors were not Kikyou's. In fact, they belonged to what appeared to be a human girl. When she had stepped out of the hut the collector's had arrived at, it was hard for anyone to not be confused.

"Who the hell you?" Yelled Inuyasha. He didn't intend to sound as angry or vicious as he had, but the last thing he needed now was someone playing with his emotions.

However, the young girl seemed unphased.

"Me? You're the ones invading my land. I should be asking you that" she replied, annoyance present in her tone.

"Calm down Inuyasha. She's clearly of no harm" Miroku said. However, he wanted to know why the girl had the shinidamachu with her.

"Can I ask you, what are you doing with those demons?" All eyes turned to Miroku, who seemed to be the only one currently capable of rational thought.

"Oh them? They help me to see future" she replied calmly.

"The future?" Kagome asked. "Like a fortune teller?"

"Precisely"

Sango added, "How do they do that? I thought they simply... Well.. Gathered souls? I wasn't aware they had other purposes"

The girl let out a giggle, "They usually don't but these ones are special. They talk to me and tell me about the future and the past of those who come around. I guess they wanted you to come and see me"

"Keh! What a load of crap! Ain't nobody of capable of seeing anything unless they're some kind of demon!" Inuyasha growled again.

"Really Hanyou?"

"Huh..?" Inuyasha was suddenly surprised

 _'_ _What the..?'_

"Let's see. Your soul is lost. That is because it is mourning a woman who recently died. Right?"

Jaws dropped.

"Shall I keep going?"  
The silence from the group encouraged the young girl to continue.

"If you keep it up half-demon, you are going to lose someone else you love. And when you do, it'll be next to impossible to get her back. Her heart will be swayed and her mind will be made up differently about you"

"Damn you! Just who the hell do you think you are!?"

"How is that for a reading?" she questioned arrogantly.

Suddenly, the young girl turned toward Sango.

"Demon slayer. You are in a great deal of inner turmoil. Your brother's life hangs on to threads but he was the one to murder your family, right?"

Sango blinked and nodded her head slowly.

"Your weapon will be destroyed. Repairing it will consist of a test of your inner strength. However, I see your happiness. Your life will be full and you will feel joy soon"

Sango was amazed, "How did you..?"

"I told you, the soul collectors"

With that, she turned her attention toward Miroku and began yet again,

"Monk, your life is caught up in a curse that sends everything into nothingness. Soon, it'll bring you a great deal of pain. You will overcome it, but only because you will be numb to it. But, you too shall live a full life. The woman you love will stay with you"

That was all Miroku needed to hear.

"Do you hear that, my beloved Sango? We will be together" he said, pulling the demon slayer into his arms.

"Miroku…"

The moment was short-lived, however. You see, his hand...

 **SMACK**

"I think I'll be fine on my own!" Yelled Sango angrily as the monk laughed to himself.

"Excuse me.." Kagome started but was quickly interrupted.

"Priestess…" started the girl, but stopped and appeared to think for a minute. The soul collectors suddenly appeared restless and flew around frantically.

And then they stopped and relaxed again.

The girl unexpectedly furrowed her brow.

"I'm sorry... I can't see yours. That's never happened before"

Kagome was disappointed and felt her only shoulders sink. How is that even fair? Both Miroku and Sango got happy lives but she couldn't even get a small prediction? Maybe Inuyasha was right and the girl just simply made a lucky guess.

The girl had lowered her head too,

 _'_ _That's odd... I've never been incapable of reading someone before..,'_ she thought.

' _Who is this priestess..?'_

…...

After the shock of the girl's capabilities, they had sat down outside the hut for tea that the girl had prepared.

"We never learned your name" said Kagome quietly.

"Mirai"

"Your name is future?"

"Funny isn't it?" she replied. "Once my parents learned of my capabilities, they changed my name from whatever it was. I was too young to remember. But this one is much more fitting, wouldn't you say?"

"So that would mean you've had the soul collectors with you for a while now" stated Miroku, the handprint still fresh on his cheek

"I guess so. But they've always floated around here. I must have made friends with them when I was little too"

Inuyasha, who had finally had enough of this weird, freaky, future-telling child, got up.

"Who cares? We've wasted enough of our time here. We have jewel shards to hunt for!"

Mirai raised her gaze up to Inuyasha and said, "If you're going to continue ahead, I must warn you"

Kagome, Miroku, Sango, Inuyasha, and Shippou all looked back at her

"Warn us?" questioned Sango, "What about?"

Mirai suddenly turned her head to what seemed to be nothing in the distance.

"Beyond this fog is a mountain and a village. It seems to be like any other village but I can assure that that is not the case" she said, keeping a steady gaze up.

"How do you mean?" Kagome asked.

"For one, the entire village is built on a grave yard"

"Graveyard?"

Mirai turned back to Kagome to reply.

"Yes. Demons and humans were laid to rest there. They live in harmony there but.."

Miroku couldn't help it, "Go on…?"

"Strange things happen there," said Mirai, turning her head back to the distance. "People see things, hear things. It always seems to be uneasy. I hear that they are currently looking for their princess, but I can't say for what exactly. Not to mention, the entire place seems to be swallowed by a giant barrier that many other demons keep trying to break. But why, even I don't know. I'm assuming they hide something precious there. But that's just what rumors say"

Inuyasha looked in the same direction as Mirai and although he hated to admit it, the brat appeared to be telling the truth. He got uneasy just glancing that way. But that was something he would keep to himself.

"Who cares? If it's dangerous, we'll just kill it"

Kagome couldn't help but roll her eyes in frustration

 _'At least one of us is back to normal'_ she thought.

Mirai shrugged. "If you choose to go on, I suggest you leave now. The sun is still up, past this fog, that is. And I would recommend you get there before dark. It gives you some leverage on whatever this village contains"

"Fine by me" replied the visibly irritated half-demon.

They thanked the young girl for her hospitality and entertainment and turned to continue on their way but then,

"Wait!"

They turned back to Mirai, who was now staring intently at Kagome.

"I can see it now. Your name is Kagome"

Kagome was taken aback, as was Inuyasha.

 _'_ _How did she know my name..? We didn't tell her..'_

"I figured it out. You're not from this time. You're from five hundred years ahead, a different life time, correct?"

"Well… I…" Kagome stammered.

"It doesn't matter. Kagome, you will be faced with a difficult decision soon. I can't tell you what your decision will be but, it'll be quick. Whether or not it will be right or wrong, I cannot say either"

"Uh…"

"However, your life will be in danger," Mirai said in a tone that unexpectedly appeared to be darker.

"Feh! Now I know your fortunes are shit. Kagome has me to protect her" Inuyasha stated confidently for the first time.

But Mirai smirked, "As if, Hanyou. Your heart is too busy hurting and debating to see the danger Kagome will face. You're going to fail her" she remarked rudely.

She then turned her attention back to Kagome.

"No one will help you. It will be completely up to you to save yourself"

 **AN:**

 **I know Inuyasha and Kagome seem a little OOC but it's for the sake of the story! Sorry for the delay, I really wanted to get this scene right! Enjoy, review, etc!**


	5. Village

All of a sudden, the mood in the group matched the drastic change of weather. What started off peacefully, sunny, and hot was now dark, gloomy, and tense. It's funny to think that a young girl with some interesting abilities was able to throw them all for a loop. With all the battles they've fought and enemies they've defeated, they all assumed that their biggest weaknesses were locked up and hidden away, only coming out when the moment allowed. And yet, here was this child who was able to see into their hearts, their desires, and their tragedies.

Now that's depressing.

It was also no surprise that Kagome and Inuyasha seemed to have taken Mirai's words to heart the most. The monk and the demon slayer were well aware of the constant rift that was starting to form between the two. But within a matter of minutes, it was larger than the year differences in their times. Kagome seemed to be staring into space, with her head everywhere but with the group. Inuyasha, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at Kagome. One would have to wonder whose fortune affected who more.

Sango eyed the half-demon first, considering what the young girl had said to him,  
 _"As if, Hanyou. Your heart is too busy hurting and debating to see the danger Kagome will face. You're going to fail her"_

Resting her hand on her cheek, Sango wondered for a minute if this was truly possible. Could Inuyasha really just… fail Kagome? Things were definitely tough recently, and their relationship had been affected. But Inuyasha loves Kagome. God forbid he would ever say it out loud or even let anyone in on his secret, but it was so obvious. Yes, he was hurting from Kikyou's death, but he couldn't let this go on forever, could he?

She rolled her eyes at her own thoughts.

Of all the times Inuyasha had told them to toughen up, to figure their 'shit' out, to 'quit bitchin about everything', he sure knew how to ignore his own advice. Suddenly Sango sighed. She really couldn't blame him but it was not fair to Kagome, not if he had any intentions at all to someday stay with her.

Speaking of Kagome…

She looked back over at the young miko who was still lost in her own thoughts. She couldn't help but notice the overall look of sadness she carried in her expression as well. Her fortune hadn't been any more pleasant than Inuyasha's. But unlike his, Kagome's clearly spoke of something ominous coming her way. At that, Sango furrowed her brow and lowered her gaze, echoing the young girl's words in her head,

 _"No one will help you. It will be completely up to you to save yourself"_

Now that, she thought, really was absurd. Maybe Inuyasha has checked out, but that didn't mean so had everyone else. If he would fail, Sango surely wouldn't. Neither would Miroku, or Shippou. They were still her friends and cared about her just as much as Inuyasha did.. had? Oh, whatever. They weren't going to let something happen to Kagome, end of story.

"Something wrong my lovely Sango?"

She turned to see the monk, eyeing her suspiciously. Then, his gaze narrowed and a mischievous smirk appeared on his face.

"You can tell me if you're thinking about me. I am always thinking about you," he said, elongated the sentence to sound more seductive.

"Keep it up monk," She stated steely. It was more than enough to emit a nervous laughter from Miroku.

...

Kagome couldn't be bothered to focus on the conversation going on behind her. More importantly, it concerned her even less if it had anything to do with her or not. Somehow, Kagome started to feel like the outsider. After all, she was the different one; she was the one who traveled through time. She was the one who wore different clothes, etc. She looked up to the sky, which appeared to be invisible behind the fog and clouds and wondered if any of this was worth it anymore. Sure, they still had to find the jewel shards but in comparison to everything else, it seemed trivial. There was Kohaku's life that needed to be considered and ultimately, the time Kagome was going to stay in… if that was going to present itself to be an issue at all.

As she kept walking, she thought to herself _'would there really be a moment where Inuyasha wouldn't come for me?'_ It sounded silly and yet, she couldn't deny the fact that she was slowly starting to believe it.

She quickly glanced at Inuyasha, noticing he was staring right at her. Her heart almost completely melted right then and there. Okay, so what if he didn't show up to save her like he always did? Who cares? She would die for whatever reason, knowing that Inuyasha was somewhere out there, happy with whatever he chose.

 _"No one will help you. It will be completely up to you to save yourself"_

The little girl's words echoed loudly in her head. But somehow, it didn't completely bother Kagome. She thought about times where she had saved herself, Inuyasha, and everyone else completely on her own. Why would this time be any different? The only other thing that resonated in Kagome louder than her own fortune was Mirai's words to Inuyasha.

 _'His heart… maybe it really is too busy to think about me. Maybe, there's no more room for me in it at all"_

In that moment, Kagome found herself wishing that Kikyou never died. Yes, she was the only kink in their relationship but had she known it would have been like this after she died, Kagome herself would have done anything possible to keep her alive. Somehow, Kikyou's death meant that Inuyasha was no longer willingly among the living either.

 _'So if he wanted to go with her so badly, he should've gone! Like I would've tried to stop it! He can't stop thinking about it and yet, here we are…'_

Kagome's shoulders slumped and her gaze dropped to look at the ground. Why did it feel as though her feudal fairy tale was starting to become a nightmare?

...

Inuyasha's eyes never left Kagome. As they left Mirai and her stupid magic tricks, he could smell the change in her. She was deeply saddened, heartbroken, lost? Worst of all, he didn't know what to do. From one perspective, he didn't want Miroku getting any ideas and the only way to prevent that was to keep his distance from Kagome. On the other hand, he still had no idea what to say, now more so than before. One thing he did know was that he couldn't care any less about that girl and her abilities. He would protect Kagome. His heartbreak would not get in the way of that.

 _'but it has before…'_

Caught off guard by his internal confession, he swore that things are different now, ' _much different now'._ Back then, he had to physically protect Kikyou. He had to be there for her first, only out of guilt. Now that she was gone, the least he could do was keep his own promise to protect Kagome. There was nothing that could take her from him, nothing.

 _"you're going to fail her"_

He repeated these words to himself, getting angrier with every time. Him? Fail Kagome? Absolutely not! He was already down one person he cared about, as if he was going to lose another one. Then, Inuyasha noticed Kagome quickly shoot him a glance and look away. He knew that look. She was thinking. Overthinking. Thinking about overthinking and overthinking.

' _Kagome. I vow to you, I will protect you with my life. I will never let anyone hurt you. You have my word'_

Coincidently, at the end of his own internal declaration, Kagome's shoulders slumped.

...

"Look at that, up ahead!" yelled Shippou, pointing to what appeared to a village forming in the distance.

It was as the girl described it; eerie and strange. The aura was extremely difficult to read. Although it appeared to be ominous, there were hints of brightness to it.

"Didn't she say there was a barrier around it?" asked Sango.

Once they had realized that Sango was right, everyone had quickly analyzed the surrounding area. Upon further inspection, it became clear that they simply walked through the barrier without an issue.

"Strange to think of this as a barrier that no demon can break through" Miroku noted.

"Feh! As if some stupid barrier was going to keep us out anyway!" Remarked Inuyasha rudely. He wasn't going to admit that he too was on edge about the whole place.

It was strange, but then again, so had been most of the things that they've experienced or encountered today.  
As they continued to approach the village, they started to take notice just what exactly this village looked like. The whole thing appeared to be at the lowest part of a valley. Overlooking it was a tall mountain that seemed to have an extremely large castle situated somewhere near the top. Though its appearance was more "modern" than Kaede's village, it was old. The nature around the village looked as if it had never really bothered to live there. There were no trees in bloom, despite it being the middle of summer. The grass seemed to match the color of the sky and was completely gray. It was almost as if the whole village had died at some point and someone forced it back to life. Mirai was not kidding. This place was ugly.

It wasn't until they were steps away from one of the huts that they were approached by one of the locals.

"Kagome-sama!"

"Huh?" They all said in unison.

"Oh I'm so happy you've returned!" exclaimed a young woman in a bright blue kimono.

Everyone had swiftly looked at Kagome in confusion.

"You've been here before, Kagome?" Miroku asked, just as confused. But Kagome seemed equally as perplexed.

For a moment, she considered on whether or not she was being mistaken for Kikyou again. However, the young woman seemed to know exactly who she was, including her name.

"I'm sorry but.. I can't seem to remember when I was here." She said, her tone sounding nothing but honest.

Despite Kagome's denial, the young woman seemed to be unbothered. In fact, it was almost as if she didn't hear Kagome at all.

"You and were friends were here, not too long ago. You slew a demon our men could not. Our headmaster instructed me and a few others to stop you before you left, but you had already gone some time before sunrise"

"If you don't mind me asking," Miroku broke their silence, "why Lady Kagome?"

The young woman smiled, "She is a great priestess. At the time, we were hoping she would stay here and protect our village, become our priestess, maybe even the land's princess. But as I said, you left-"

"Princess?" Inuyasha spat out. The unfortunate thing was that it sounded more sarcastically than he had intended it too. "Kagome is no princess, you're definitely mixing them up"

All eyes turned to Kagome, expect her to 'sit' Inuyasha for the crude comment, however, Kagome didn't budge and continued to eye the young woman curiously. She couldn't put her finger on it but something wasn't right. She was sure that they would remember such a strange place, at least one of them. Yet, none of them were able to recall anything. Interrupting her thoughts, the young woman continued,

"No, it is definitely Lady Kagome we have been seeking. It would be impossible to mix her up with anybody else"

Although it wasn't the intention, Inuyasha felt as though the comment was directed at him. Only he was ever capable of confusing Kagome with Kikyou. He slightly growled at the indirect insult.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm your princess. I've been traveling with my friends and I don't think –"

"Please Kagome-sama. Just stay for one night. We would be more than honored to accommodate you and your travel companions. We will prepare a meal and prepares rooms for everyone as well. Just please, talk to your headmaster in the castle. He's very keen on seeing you again"

Kagome couldn't help it. The young woman was practically begging her to stay.

"Fuck this. We ain't got time to stay around some stupid village because they think Kagome is some kind of god" Inuyasha crossed his arms and looked away. But to be honest, he simply wasn't getting a good feeling about the whole thing and his gut told him that staying her would only be a mistake.

"One night. Just one night. Please"

Finally, Kagome caved.

"Okay. But just for the night"

"Kagome!? What? We don't have time for this!"

Before Kagome could say anything else, Sango stepped in. "Inuyasha, we're going to let Kagome decide. She says we stay, so we're staying".

Inuyasha didn't miss the threatening tone in the demon slayer's voice. Instead of arguing, he looked away, "Feh. Whatever"

"Oh thank you so much Kagome-sama. It is truly an honor. If you don't mind, however, would you be able to head up to the castle now? In the meantime, I'll make sure all of the necessities for tonight are set"

"By myself?"

"Mm, yes. The headmaster requested he see you alone.." she trailed off, sensing Kagome's discomfort. "However, if it'll relax you a bit, you can take your half-demon with you. The other two can stay here. I'm sure his speed will get you there in no time?"

At this, Kagome inhaled sharply. Go with Inuyasha? Usually, she wouldn't have an issue. In fact, she would be thrilled to spend time alone with him. But given the last couple of days, she wasn't sure that he was going to ease her suspicions in any way.

"If it's okay, I'd rather take Sa-"

"Perfect. I'll prepare the rooms for the other two" she interrupted.

Kagome sighed. Clearly, there was no way out of this. She was going with Inuyasha. Still, she couldn't help but shake this odd feeling. When she looked at Inuyasha, they made eye contact for the first time all day. When he lightly nodded in her direction, she knew that he could feel whatever it was too. Guess he really was the better option anyway.

...

"Do you really think this will work Naraku?" said a voice as smooth as silk from a corner in the dark. "Haven't you tried this before? The whole kidnapping Kagome? It didn't work"

"Silence. Things are different now. Inuyasha is caught up in his heartbreak and Kagome is practically live bait. This will be too easy"

Naraku toyed with what seemed to be a complete Shikon No Tama in his hand. However, the color of it was nothing near the pale pink it originally was. It was dark and tainted.

"If you say so. I'll be on my way then" stated the voice again, before making a silent exit.

Smirking mostly to himself, Naraku thought, _'Oh yes, this will be rather entertaining"_

...

 **AN: Sorry for the delay! I was busy with completing school! I hope you're enjoying the plot unfold! Rate, comment, review!**


	6. Castle

This was a familiar feeling; the cool evening wind in her hair, the setting sun piercing her back with its orange rays, the firm hands gripping her thighs. Kagome knew it all. She basked in the glory of the moment. Usually, she felt comfortable and safe. With Inuyasha carrying her on his back, she felt invincible, like nothing could stop her. She could take on any foe, collect any Shikon Shard, and defeat Naraku fourteen thousand times if she wanted to. This was what Inuyasha did to her. He made her powerful, free, careless. For just a moment, Kagome forgot the worries of the past couple of weeks. She forgot that Kikyou still haunted them. She forgot that Inuyasha couldn't possibly feel what she felt about him toward her. In this and everyone one of these moments, they were crazy in love.

And then she remembered.

Despite the familiarity of being on his back, the love story she created in her head was currently on hold, maybe even non-existent. She thought it was ironic; that Inuyasha and Kikyou's relationship was destroyed by Naraku and here her relationship with Inuyasha was being destroyed by Kikyou. She let out a slow exhale, doing her best to stay as invisible as she could. It took every ounce of her strength and will not to completely relax into his grip and into his back. It was sad to tell herself she couldn't stay calm, that now, with Inuyasha, she had to constantly be on guard.

When the lady down in the village told them to go up to the castle and insisted Inuyasha go with her, he had knelt down to put her on his back as if everything was as usual. "Let's Go, Kagome," he said. And just like that, they were off. She looked back at her friends, who were just as confused as she was but, they didn't stop them. She figured that they believed the two needed more time together than Romeo and Juliet ever did. Of course, they don't know who Romeo and Juliet are, but to Kagome, the comparison was close enough.

 _'Romeo and Juliet…'_ Kagome thought. Two people, forbidden to see one another by their families, who fell mercilessly in love with one another and eventually died together, unwilling to live without each other. She had been over this with herself. If anyone was supposed to be Romeo and Juliet, it would be Inuyasha and Kikyou. As if wanting to torture herself anymore, she decided to remind herself of what exactly she was up against in order to win the heart of her beloved hanyou. When Kikyou died, she wished to be with him in the afterlife, the one she thought she had sent Inuyasha to. But Inuyasha was asleep, not dead. When she had released him, he had no intention of dying either, regardless of what reason. He wanted to become a have demon.

 _'He also wanted to kill you'_. But Kagome shoo-ed off the voice inside her head, knowing that the story, their story, had started to unfold differently. He wanted to obtain the Tetsusaiga, he wanted to become stronger, he wanted to fight to live the way he wanted to. Until the soul was stolen from her body, Kagome wouldn't have ever thought of Inuyasha as the type to die for someone. But time proved her wrong. Inuyasha would run to be with Kikyou every time she appeared near them. There was only really one moment Inuyasha hadn't noticed her presence. Coincidentally, it was the time she and Kikyou had been trapped in a cave. That night, she was the one to walk with Inuyasha back to the campsite underneath the stars, not Kikyou. She was the one who followed him, went with him, chose to be with him no matter what. It wasn't Kikyou. Suddenly Kagome's mind whirled. Was she really beginning to compare herself to her? It only took Kagome another second to realize how awful the situation must really be, especially if she was trying to one up Kikyou.

It was Inuyasha's voice that broke her from her thoughts. "Hey, are you okay, Kagome?"

All the noise in her head disappeared. There was nothing anymore, nothing but the sound of Inuyasha's voice saying her name. Before she could say anything, he continued, "You.. uh. keep squeezing my shoulders" he stammered

She hadn't realized her internal conflict was starting to affect her actions in reality. But she didn't know what to say. Is she okay? No. Is she hurt? No. Is she slowly losing her mind because nothing makes sense? Yeah, probably.

"It's fine. Don't worry about it." She answered, dryly.

Although Inuyasha didn't like the answer, he was unsure if he should keep pushing it. He and Kagome hadn't been on the best terms lately. On the other hand, the whole shift in the dynamic between the two of them was really bothering him. Kagome was his best friend, his reason for being, his future. Okay, so she didn't really know about those last two, but surely she knew the first. He had to admit, his actions, especially in regards to how he treated Kagome were questionable, if not completely inappropriate, but his stubborn heart wouldn't exactly grieve the way he hoped it would. In fact, he thought that maybe everything between the two of them would get easier once Kikyou had left this world. Unfortunately, it only made things more complicated. But that's not what he wanted. He wanted Kagome to be her bright beautiful self. He wanted her to laugh, to smile. Oh gods, how he loved her laugh. Then it occurred to Inuyasha; the two of them were alone now. They were somewhere in a middle of a mountain, and even if Kagome wanted to yell at him, no one would really hear her.. His mind was made up. He stopped suddenly, set Kagome down and turned around to face her. "Kagome, what's going on with you?"

Kagome's eyes nearly popped out of her head. Was he serious? Was he so thick headed that he didn't understand? But then again… she could see the concern and worry in his bright amber eyes. She could see that he was trying, one way or another, to figure this out. Still, it didn't stop the sudden fire beginning to ignite in her stomach. She was angry, she was. Doesn't matter how concerned he seemed, there was no getting out of this. Did he want an explanation? Fine, she was going to give him one.

"Are you seriously asking me that?!" She snapped, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible.

It took all of Inuyasha's strength not to flinch at the tone of her voice or her words. This was conversation was inevitable. Now or never. He braced himself for the verbal onslaught about to follow.

"Honestly Inuyasha, if anyone should be asking questions, it should be me asking you! "

Salt. He could smell the tears creeping their way into those chocolate brown eyes.

"The past couple of weeks have been driving me nuts! I don't know what to do! I can't go home because I'm afraid of leaving you and you being okay with it, and I can't stay here because you're going to break every piece of my heart!"

Okay, that he hadn't been expecting. Break her heart? No, it couldn't be. How could he break her heart? Unless he was missing something… Unless…

"Kagome-"

"You either pretend like everything is fine or don't speak to anyone of us at all! I get it Inuyasha, I get it! I'm trying to help you, to make you feel better, but I can't do that if you just keep locking me out!"

There must have been a million things he wanted to say to her at that moment, plus one million more. But the only thing he could do was quietly exhale her name. She, however, wasn't having it. She was mad, angry, sad, bitter, resentful, and the list went on. He could feel it in his bones. But before he could say anything, he saw her relax completely and sigh sadly before she lowered her gaze to look at the ground. "It's fine, Inuyasha. I'm sorry," she squeaked, trying to hold back the enormous sob that had gathered in her throat.

"Kagome, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I made you feel like this. I know-"

"Forget it." There was a long pause before she continued, "Let's just get to the castle, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded, realizing that apologizing and trying to explain this to Kagome now would be a lost cause.

…...

When they reached the front of the castle, Inuyasha immediately took his position in front of Kagome and withdrew Tetsusaiga. He was extremely on edge. Everything in the air was wrong. The demonic presence was overwhelming, to say the least.

"Inuyasha?" she asked.

And somehow, everything was back to normal. Here she was, taking her spot behind him because he was her protector. He was the one to fight his way through any battle so long as she was safe. This too was familiar to her. They were a team. They needed each other. However, she didn't understand why he was so tense. In her opinion, there was nothing wrong. The air was peaceful and calm. There were birds chirping in the distance. It was actually quite scenic. The differences in their reactions are what made her worry more. Inuyasha wasn't one to just switch into defense mode. He was obviously seeing something she wasn't.

"Can you feel it?" He let out, almost in a growl. But when he heard Kagome's response, his demeanor drastically changed.

"Inuyasha.. There's nothing here. everything's fine"

Suddenly, Inuyasha turned around to face her. She wasn't lying; her expression was calm but she looked at him in complete confusion. She really didn't sense whatever it was. All the more reason to stay on guard. This meant Kagome was vulnerable. For whatever reason, her sense was failing her, but his demonic capabilities would never lie to him.

"Stay Behind Me." This was an order, not a suggestion. And Kagome nodded in agreement.

The two continued to make their way toward the entrance where another young woman greeted them as soon as they were close enough. "Lady Kagome. We've been expecting you," She said, with a chill in her voice.

"And just who the hell are ya!?" Inuyasha growled defensively, "We were told there was a headmaster, not headmistress!"

The woman smirked and narrowed her gaze, "That is correct. He is here. My name is Kasumi. You will be speaking to the headmaster when you are finished with me. There are things I must tell you before you see him"

Inuyasha didn't like this at all. The woman reeked of demonic energy. There was nothing pure or calm about her and yet when he glanced back at Kagome, she wore the same expression of confusion. It was becoming obvious that whatever he was seeing, Kagome wasn't. But why?

"Follow me," Kasumi ordered. Then she turned around and disappeared into the castle.

Inuyasha sheathed Tetsusaiga hesitantly and then turned his head toward Kagome.

"Kagome. Whatever you do, do not leave my sight, you hear me?"

"Got it"

Well, at least they were able to come to the same conclusion on something.

…...

The castle was absolutely huge. There were hallways leading to rooms and rooms leading to hallways. Had Kasumi not been leading them the entire time, they would have definitely gotten themselves lost. The majority of the rooms appeared to be vacant, both of people or any kind of furniture. Though she still didn't understand Inuyasha's hesitation, the emptiness of the castle made her uneasy.

' _why all the extra space?_ ' she wondered.

The other thing was that majority of the castle was dark. There was hardly any lightning, other than a couple lanterns lining the corridor they continued down. Everything was pitch black. When Kasumi finally stopped, she slid open what appeared to be an extremely large door. It was unusually big for a traditional sliding door. But then again, everything about this castle appeared to be out of the ordinary.

"Please, enter"

It was the first time Kagome noticed how cold Kasumi's voice was. It was clear, thick, and low. For whatever reason, she hoped that if something was to suddenly occur, they would have Kasumi on their side. She was appearing to be someone you didn't want to mess with.

As soon as they stepped into the room, Inuyasha immediately felt uneasy again. Something was definitely wrong. He couldn't put his finger on it. His sensitive hearing couldn't help but notice that the world around them was suddenly very quiet. There was no wind, no birds, nothing but completely silence. However, he had no choice but to agree with Kagome. There was nothing there. Sure, the situation appeared to be strange, but even the demonic presence he had felt earlier was gone too. Still, he wouldn't relax.

"Lady Kagome, if you do not mind, please, sit," said Kasumi, as she took a seat near the end of the room by the wall. She motioned for Kagome to sit directly in front of her. When she made no such gesture in Inuyasha's direction, he moved a little closer to them but decided to lean against the wall, just in case.

Once Kagome was seated, she began to speak.

"Lady Kagome, I'm sure you've heard that the priestess Kikyou has passed?"

Kagome nodded slowly. She must have had this conversation some fifty times already and it never seemed to get easier. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Inuyasha's body slightly stiffen at her name.

"Then you realize you are the only one who can truly defeat Naraku?" This was new.

"Me?" Kagome squeaked.

"Only you. You see Kagome, you are the purity within the jewel. The light. Naraku is the darkness. Sooner than later, you two will battle against each other. The winner will determine the fate of the Shikon Jewel and those who seek it"

Kagome was speechless. Her? Battle Naraku Alone? How?

"Kagome has me. She's not going anywhere that bastard on her own!" Inuyasha stated, but he was almost completely ignored by Kasumi. He couldn't help but notice that Kagome didn't react to his words either. Strange…

"I have an offer to make to you, my lady. But please listen carefully. Do not make rash decisions or rash assumptions"

Kagome inhaled deeply before slowly letting out an "Okay"

"The people of this village and myself believe that you are more than capable of defeating Naraku. However we also understand that it would be difficult for you to face this battle on your own,"

"But I'm not on my own," Kagome interrupted, "I have Miroku and Sango and Inuyasha"

Kasumi slightly smiled and let out a small sigh. "I have something else in mind Lady Kagome. They are dogs."

This caught Inuyasha's attention all over again. What did she say? Dogs?

Now Kagome was beyond confused. "Dogs? What are you talking about?"

"These are not just ordinary dogs, my Lady. These are something out of your wildest dreams. They are creatures composed from the heavens. They are Gods"

Kagome was speechless. There was suddenly too much information to process. First Naraku, now something dog gods. This was definitely a lot.

Kasumi continued, "They are some of the most powerful beings to ever roam our time. They are forces to be reckoned with. They serve one master and one master only and are extremely loyal. Betrayal is not something they are capable of"

"As IF Kagome needs a bunch of Hounds! I protect Kagome!" But again, Inuyasha was completely ignored. What the fuck?

Completely unaware of Inuyasha's statement, Kagome began to wave her hands in front of her, "Hold on a second! I honestly have no idea what you're talking about. Even if I did, it wouldn't matter! I have Inuyasha and I don't need anyone or anything else!"

Kasumi looked at Kagome in confusion and asked, "Inuyasha?"

Kagome suddenly froze. "Inuyasha, the half demon who came in with me?"

"What are you, blind?!" Inuyasha roared. But then, everything clicked.

 _'Fuck. Fuck!'_

"Kagome, there is no here but you and me"

Immediately, Kagome turned her head to the spot on the wall where Inuyasha was. To her shock and confusion, Kasumi was right. Inuyasha was nowhere to be seen.

"KAGOME! FUCK KAGOME, CAN'T YOU HEAR ME?!" Inuyasha roared louder, but the lack of reaction told him she couldn't. Now the whole thing made sense. When they entered the room, they had stepped through a barrier of some sort. He could still see and hear them, but neither one could see or hear him. That's why it seemed as though he was being ignored.

At least until Kasumi looked in his direction and smirked.

"You Bitch!" Inuyasha growled, clutching his fists. But what was he going to do? The Red Tetsusaiga would blow the castle up.

Turning her attention back toward Kagome, who was still confused, she said, "Kagome, you came here on your own. There was no one with you" Kagome's head began to hurt, "That's impossible. I couldn't have..-"

"Inuyasha saw the soul collectors in the village. He went to look for Kikyou, remember? You sent him off…"

"No... No that's impossible... I… swear.." her voice trailed off, too confused to keep going. Was she really all alone here?

"Kagome! Don't Listen to her! I am RIGHT HERE!" Attempting to get whatever attention he could, Inuyasha destroyed the entire doorway to the room with his bare hands, the anger providing more than enough motivation. But still, nothing.

"Kagome. This is why I offer you these dogs. They are loyal! You will be their only priority! They won't run off and leave you as soon as something better comes along! You can be the one to defeat Naraku, to save your friends!"

"No… no... no no no!" She began to hold her hands in her hands. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening...

 _'Inuyasha.. how could you?… am I really so meaningless to you_?'

"Lady Kagome, you will never need him with the dogs. They will be your comfort, your protection, your guardian angels. Forget the traitorous half-breed"

 _'Damn it Kagome. Don't you fucking listen to her! I am right here! I never left you_!'

Kagome didn't know what to do. In a matter of seconds, her entire relationship with Inuyasha played out in her head. From the moment he wanted to kill her, to the kiss in Kaguya's castle, to moments before Kikyou had passed away.

 _'I guess.. in every one of those scenarios.. it was me who made us move forward. It was me who kissed him.. me who told him I would stay… it was never Inuyasha..'_ She thought sadly.

"Please Kagome.." Kasumi said, feigning a tone of desperation.

There was an eerie silence the filled the entire room. You could hear the heartbeat of an ant. Inuyasha waited and so did Kasumi.

Finally,

"Take me to them"

"I'm sorry?" Kasumi questioned.

"Take me to the Dogs"

 **-  
** **AN: Sorry about the HUGE delay in getting this out. But, The title of the story is finally coming into play! Also wrote an extra long chapter. Remeber, review and rate! :D**


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